You stood up for Fort McMurray. Thank you.

The fire that decimated Fort McMurray now counts as one of the worst natural disasters in Canadian history. The road ahead will be a hard one for the brave people of that city. Too many have lost their homes. Too many have lost their livelihoods. Too many have lost nearly everything they own.

The Canadian spirit reveals itself in these times of desperation. Many of us have never been to Fort McMurray or know anyone who lives there. That doesn’t matter. In the face of disaster there are no strangers. In that spirit, we stood in solidarity with our Albertan friends. We announced our own donation-matching program. Through this, Egg Farmers of Canada matched every dollar donated by those in the Canadian egg industry to the Canadian Red Cross or Alberta Food Banks, to a maximum of $30,000.

Our industry stepped up in a big way. I’m proud to announce we raised $56,222 for the relief effort. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our members, staff, and partners across Canada for their support and donations. Our collective efforts will go a long way towards helping those in need.

Last month, I reminded you of one commentator’s poignant words: “We don’t get to pick moments of national character. They pick us.” In this moment, Canadians were up to the task. So were egg farmers. I can’t thank you enough for it.